Sweet Sakura Park
by shimo hyozan
Summary: a sequel to my first fic, sweet sakura tree...


**Author's note:** alright…this is my second RK fic. This is sort of the sequel to my first fic: "Sweet Sakura Tree". I guess you'd better read that first so you could understand the story better. Actually, this and the other one were supposed to be one full story, yet I decided to split them to two. I'll stop talking now. Enjoy the story! Please review!

**Disclaimer: **blah, blah…Standard disclaimer thingy…I don't own Rurouni Kenshin (but I WISH I did…) it belongs to its most respectable creators. Thanks a lot! smiles

Sweet Sakura Park

By shimo hyozan

Aoshi was headed for the door when Misao took notice and asked "where are you off to, Aoshi-sama?"

The man replied "I have to go meet up with and important person somewhere. Good bye" and he stepped out without a single word more.

Misao looked at the door where her best friend just walked out of. _'He's making me worried_' Misao thought as she turned around and headed for the kitchen. _'He's being a lot more secretive than before. I wonder what's up?' _

-----

"so, do you accept it?"

"yes. Where will it be?"

"the target lives in a dojo around Tokyo. We'll send someone to come with you"

"no thanks. I work alone"

"very well. 'Akiyama Dojo' is its name. We well appreciate your services you offer to us, Shinomori Aoshi" the man said, smiling.

Aoshi stood up and picked up his sword "it is my pleasure to work as an assassin once more. I thank you for that. Expect the target to be killed by my own hands" and with that, he bowed and left.

-----

"Misao-chan. You have to eat…" Okon told her fellow member of the Oniwa Banshu as she sat beside her and gazed at Misao.

"how many days has passed since Aoshi's been away?" she replied as she stared out the window.

"huh? Uh…"

"Five days. Five long, excruciating days and still, he hasn't informed me in any way"

"maybe he's too busy doing something…" Okon said, trying to comfort the miserable Misao.

"too busy to even write a short note or something to me? Or to us?"

"probably…but he'll be back"

"I sure hope so…"

Days pass and Misao was worried on her friend's condition. She still hasn't heard from him and this made her a little mad…at him. Even though the people at Aoiya were with her, she still felt alone, as each day passes by without a single word from Aoshi.

Then one day, Misao found herself wandering on the familiar path towards Sakura Park, Aoshi and her favorite place to be. She sat on the floor of the empty rest house and stared out into space. Rain started pouring down and still she stared out until finally, she couldn't take the deafening silence that engulfed her.

She stood up and ran into the wet and open environment, her shoes making sloppy sounds as they hit the moist ground.

"SHINOMORI AOSHI! I HATE YOU!!!"

Tears began streaming down her eyes. She kneeled down and cried her heart out, for she had never felt so alone in her entire life. There was this emptiness in her that only Aoshi could fill up. She wept, as the rain hit her continuously from all directions. The park whispered empty words that she couldn't decipher properly.

Suddenly, a voice behind her spoke "I'm so sorry, Misao-chan" as a pair of arms wrapped around her small waist. The person hugged her for a moment then proceeded to standing her up and spinning her around. There, Misao was faced by her long gone best friend, Aoshi.

"Aoshi-sama…" Misao muttered out, completely shocked. She slowly backed away from him as he released her. She abruptly looked away as he softened his straight look. Then suddenly,

SLAP!

A swift hand made contact with the male's left cheek. Misao looked at him with an angry look, breathing heavily "why didn't you write to me? Do you know that every single day, I was worried about you?" tears started to fall once more. "Do you know that as each day passes by, I felt so lonely without you by my side?"

Aoshi's eyes widened in shock as she spoke out her words. Misao slowly approached him the wrapped her arms around him tightly. She sobbed in his chest, muttering, "I was so worried…worried that I might lose my only best friend in the whole world"

He just stood there, too stunned to do or say anything as a result to Misao's words expressed to him. Instead, he got the urge to gently wrap his arms around her and hold her near. He laid his head atop Misao's as he breathed in the scent that surrounded her. "I'm so sorry that I made you worry, Misao. I never knew that you cared this much for me, yet alone worry about me at all…"

"Of course I'd worry about you! You're my best friend! I value you more that anyone here!" Misao cut him off. "I…I…I love you more that anyone!!!" she said, looking at him straight in the eye. The rain slowed down its descend to a gentle pitter patter until there was none left. The moon peeked from its blanket of clouds and shone out brightly into the dark and once gloomy night; it's light hitting the dewdrops on the Sakura petals making the park glitter in a soft tone of light pink. She laid her head back to Aoshi's chest once again as she relaxed, as caused by the remarkable glow of the park. She shut her eyes as more tears leaked out.

"I'm sorry for everything, Misao…" Aoshi spoke. He pulled back a little and held Misao's cheek in one hand. "Don't cry. It breaks my heart when I see you like this." he wiped her tears with his thumb; wiped the trail it left on her cheeks. His thumb caressed every feature of her face, her eyes, her nose, her cheeks and finally, her lips. He ran a thumb across them before he replaced them with his own lips. He took on her slowly, as it was her first time to be kissed by anyone else. It took a while before it registered in Misao's confused mind that her best friend _was actually kissing_ _her_. The thought didn't seem to bother her; anyway, it was someone who she truly loved, someone who probably loved her back, as seen by his action.

He broke off after a while, yet he didn't let her go. He was still hugging her; she was still laying her head upon his chest. Aoshi felt Misao take in a deep breath and exhaling it slowly.

"are you still crying? I wanted to see your smile when I got here. Show me one" he gently rubbed her back, as to calm her down.

She looked up at him and smiled weakly. He wiped her tears dry as he smiled at her warmly. Misao felt the warmth of his smile inside her. How she missed that warmth that wasn't felt for so long. "that's more like it. You look a lot better when you smile"

He suddenly gazed up at the sky. "We should be getting home now, before it gets very dark" he finally let her go then started walking off when a hand caught his wrist, which stopped him.

"can we go home a little later, Aoshi-sama?"

"but you'll catch a cold"

"it's okay, I really don't mind…"

"but I do…"

A pause.

"oh!" Misao suddenly exclaimed "I remember that I brought along a blanket in my bag! It's in the rest house!" she ran off to collect the blanket while Aoshi followed her. She grabbed it out off her bag and draped it over her best friend's shoulders. She then sat on the floor and heaved a sigh. Aoshi just stood there for a moment before sitting down beside her and taking off the blanket and wrapping it around her.

"You need this more that I do. You get sick very easily"

She snuggled in the blanket a bit. "thank you" she replied quietly.

"so, what's in your mind? Any thoughts bothering you?" Aoshi said, after observing the girl beside him for quite some time.

"nothing really…I just wanted to be with you in this peaceful night. I want to savor this moment with you while we are here in our favorite place…"

Aoshi suddenly wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He didn't know exactly why, but he felt that he _had_ to do it.

"you broke your promise" Misao suddenly said out of the blue

"huh?"

"Remember before? You promised me, by the Sakura Tree, that you'll always inform me whenever you're out for a job, so that I won't worry myself on you…"

"I already said sorry…" Aoshi said gloomily

Misao looked at him and giggled a bit, then proceeded to kissing him on the cheek. " It's okay. I forgive you"

"May I reassure your forgiveness?" Aoshi said as he leaned in and kissed her for the second time. After a few short seconds, he pulled away and whispered to her ear "I love you"

"and I love you too, Aoshi-sama"

The once dark and gloomy Sakura Park that had sadness roaming around was now a peaceful one, filled with all the love the two people present have for each other.

"look at the beauty of this park…and remember me, who loves you so much"

**Author's note: **the last line is corney…but…yehey!!! smiles widely it is done!!! This and my other fic are actually related (well, excluding the titles) they were SUPPOSED to be one whole story, but I separated them instead since the ideas didn't seem to fit in properly (wait, I mentioned that already earlier…teehee…sorry!). but anyway, thanks a lot for reading this fic! Could you drop me a review? Pretty please?


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